Urban Planner Debunks Anti-King Street Pilot Project Rhetoric

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"These aren’t your friends. Their ideas are toxic."

A Toronto resident isn’t mincing words towards the anti-King Street pilot project folks who say the new emphasis on commuters is bad for business.

In a series of tweets, Gil Meslin, urban planner and social scientist posted a 25-point argument that debunked many of the arguments against the King Street pilot project, slamming the politicians and restaurant owners who say otherwise. In the thread, Melsin pointed out how some of Toronto’s busiest attractions are within a 10-minute walk of “restaurant row,” as well as a number of hotels and AirBnbs.

Over the last month, Kit Kat owner Al Carbone made local headlines when he erected large ice sculptures, flipping off Mayor John Tory and the pilot project as a whole. Most recently he initiated a “protest” that had locals playing a game of road hockey on a busy King Street.

Speaking about business owners and politicians opposed to the pilot, Leslin said “these aren’t your friends. Their ideas are toxic. They didn’t care about you yesterday, and they won’t tomorrow.”

“These are vampires, feeding on manufactured division and outrage to extend their unnaturally long political lives,” he added.